Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Why Debate is a Good Thing

I often get into debates over silly things likemovies, books, or torture. I suppose I could avoidthese situations if I really wanted to but I don't.They make me a better writer. I shall pontificate.

Debate is an exchange of ideas with the intention ofpersuasion. It is not a simple conversation; there isa presumption that right and wrong will figure intothe final assessment. There will be a winner and aloser. (Unless you're arguing about abortion, thenthere will be only losers.) Therefore, you must bringyour A game. You have to clearly state your positionand define how it differs with your opponent. Thenyou have to support your position with facts andreason while attacking the enemy's (sorry,'opponent's') facts and reason.

Some people can do this well and some cannot. I'vefound that when people start getting emotional aboutan issue the debate portion of the evening is usuallyover. Typically this is when I start talking aboutfootball. This might also be because I have theamazing gift of taking someone else's facts andreasoning and making it say what I want instead ofwhat they want. (Why? Because sometimes I can'tdazzle 'em with brilliance.)

So how does this relate to writing? Fiction is muchlike a debate. You are lying and trying to make itsound convincing. Unless you're writing a sweepinghistorical romance you only have a certain amount oftime to make your point and hook your reader. As awriter, you should train yourself to quickly sort outwhat is relevant, what is fluff, and how you canquickly present it. Debate will help you with this.